- By Chloe Parkman and Chris Ellis
- BBC News
February 23, 2024
Updated 54 minutes ago
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Watch: World War II Plymouth bomb taken from garden to sea
A 500kg German Second World War bomb that forced the evacuation of thousands of people in Plymouth has been detonated at sea.
The unexploded device was found in a garden on St. Michael Avenue on Tuesday and caused disruption for four days.
On Friday, police closed roads and suspended train and bus services as the bomb was transported 2.3 kilometers through the city's streets.
The device was taken by boat beyond the breakwater and detonated at 21:51 GMT.
No further details about disposal were given.
Lt. Col. Rob Swan said earlier Friday the bomb would be brought to a depth of at least 14 meters (46 feet) before a diver would attach a charge to the bomb to detonate it.
A temporary 300m (984ft) barrier was erected on Friday afternoon to allow experts to transport the bomb from the Keyham district in a military convoy to the Torpoint Ferry slipway.
Plymouth City Council said 10,320 people and 4,300 properties had fallen into the exclusion zone.
For safety reasons, residents in the area were asked to leave their homes for about three hours from 2:00 p.m. GMT.
While the bomb was transported through the city, several streets were closed and train and bus services were suspended.
The cordon was lifted shortly after 5:30 p.m.
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The device was discovered in a back garden
Resident Vicky Brotherton said it had been “a very worrying time for us” and she was “very relieved” to be home after spending the last four days in a caravan in Cornwall.
“Just a huge thank you to everyone involved in bringing this to a safe end – I’m really impressed with His Majesty’s Forces.”
Resident Jeannette Ssentongo said she was glad the bomb had been removed.
“Every morning I was at work and checked my phone,” she said. “It was a concern.”
Image source: Matt Keeble/PA Wire
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Police and bomb disposal experts at the scene near St Michael Avenue, Plymouth
Keyham resident Christine Jolley, who lives on St Aubyn Avenue, said the last few days had been “very stressful”.
“It was terrible – we were among the first out on Tuesday morning and we just left the house with nothing with us.”
“In the evening we were allowed to pick up my husband’s tablets and that was it.”
Plymouth City Council leader Tudor Evans thanked everyone involved in removing the bomb.
He said it created a “warlike spirit” in the city.
“I think it’s fair to say that Plymouth’s final days will go down in history,” Evans said.
“That war bomb really brought out the spirit of wartime, people coming together to really support each other and even though it was really hard, we got through it.”
The city council said the Life Center leisure center was used as an emergency resting place for evacuees.
“Brave and Fortitude”
Defense Secretary Grant Shapps praised the “bravery and fortitude” of those involved in the “highly complex operation” and the “patience and cooperation” of the public.
In a statement on Friday, he said: “I would like to express my gratitude to all of our staff … who have worked day and night this week to ensure the safety of the public and minimize the risk of harm.”
“The success of this operation is a testament to the capabilities and expertise of our forces, as well as the courage and fortitude of our personnel when faced with high-risk situations and working under extreme pressure.”
The Defense Ministry said about 30 of the armed forces' most experienced bomb disposal specialists had been working around the clock since Tuesday to assess the condition of the bomb.
Employees of The Box, a cultural space and museum in the city, believe that the explosives struck on one of the heaviest nights of bombing in World War II.
Using wartime “bomb maps,” the museum stated that the bomb was dropped on April 22 or 23, 1941. According to the museum, about 1,362 bombs exploded in the city during the war.